Hundreds Of Prisoners Escape Port-au-Prince Prison Amid Rising Violence
Hundreds of prisoners escape Port-au-Prince prison amid rising violence. A Haiti Police Union urged all officers in the capital equipped with vehicles and weapons to aid in the struggle to regain control of Haiti’s National Penitentiary.
Author:Hajra ShannonReviewer:Paula M. GrahamMar 03, 2024149 Shares7.8K Views
Hundreds of prisoners escape Port-au-Prince prison amid rising violence. A Haiti Police Union urged all officers in the capital equipped with vehicles and weapons to aid in the struggle to regain control of Haiti’s National Penitentiary.
They cautioned that if the assailants succeeded, "we are done. No one will be spared in the capital because there will be 3,000 extra bandits now effective," as stated in the release.
Numerous security sources in Port-au-Prince informed reporters that the recent upsurge in violence, commencing on Thursday and targeting police precincts, the international airport, and the National Penitentiary, is unparalleled in recent memory. On Friday, Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, declared his intent to persist in efforts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
“„We ask the Haitian National Police and the military to take responsibility and arrest Ariel Henry. Once again, the population is not our enemy; the armed groups are not your enemy. You arrest Ariel Henry for the country’s liberation. With these weapons, we will liberate the country, and these weapons will change the country.- Jimmy Cherizier
Cherizier, a former police officer, leads an alliance of gangs and has been subjected to sanctions from both the United Nations and the United States Department of the Treasury.
Public anger, fueled by Henry's failure to quell the unrest, reached a tipping point when he refused to resign last month, citing the escalating violence. Previously, he had committed to organizing elections and transferring power by February 7.
Caribbean leaders announced on Wednesday that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry had agreed to conduct general elections by August 31, 2025, at the latest. The recent clashes erupted on Thursday while Henry was in Kenya, finalizing arrangements with Kenyan President William Ruto for the anticipated deployment of a multinational security support mission to Haiti.
Addressing reporters, a source within Haitian law enforcement disclosed that gangs had launched attacks on several police stations across the city since Thursday, resulting in at least four fatalities and the burning of some stations.
Simultaneously, gunfire near the airport on Thursday compelled airlines to halt flights. On Friday, the US Embassy in Haiti issued a security advisory, cautioning of gunfire and disruptions to traffic in the vicinity of both the domestic and international terminals, as well as in surrounding areas such as a hotel and the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police.
Haiti has been engulfed in a surge of unrest and gang violence in recent years. In Port-au-Prince, rival gangs hold sway over large swathes of the city, disrupting crucial supply routes to other parts of the country.
Additionally, gang members have instilled fear among urban residents, prompting more than 300,000 individuals to evacuate their residences due to relentless acts of violence, including indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, arson, and sexual assault. In January alone, approximately 1,100 individuals were either killed, injured, or abducted, marking it as the most violent month in two years, as declared by the United Nations.
They cautioned that if the assailants succeeded, "we are done. No one will be spared in the capital because there will be 3,000 extra bandits now effective," as stated in the release.
Numerous security sources in Port-au-Prince informed reporters that the recent upsurge in violence, commencing on Thursday and targeting police precincts, the international airport, and the National Penitentiary, is unparalleled in recent memory. On Friday, Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, declared his intent to persist in efforts to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
“„We ask the Haitian National Police and the military to take responsibility and arrest Ariel Henry. Once again, the population is not our enemy; the armed groups are not your enemy. You arrest Ariel Henry for the country’s liberation. With these weapons, we will liberate the country, and these weapons will change the country.- Jimmy Cherizier
Cherizier, a former police officer, leads an alliance of gangs and has been subjected to sanctions from both the United Nations and the United States Department of the Treasury.
Public anger, fueled by Henry's failure to quell the unrest, reached a tipping point when he refused to resign last month, citing the escalating violence. Previously, he had committed to organizing elections and transferring power by February 7.
Caribbean leaders announced on Wednesday that Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry had agreed to conduct general elections by August 31, 2025, at the latest. The recent clashes erupted on Thursday while Henry was in Kenya, finalizing arrangements with Kenyan President William Ruto for the anticipated deployment of a multinational security support mission to Haiti.
Addressing reporters, a source within Haitian law enforcement disclosed that gangs had launched attacks on several police stations across the city since Thursday, resulting in at least four fatalities and the burning of some stations.
Simultaneously, gunfire near the airport on Thursday compelled airlines to halt flights. On Friday, the US Embassy in Haiti issued a security advisory, cautioning of gunfire and disruptions to traffic in the vicinity of both the domestic and international terminals, as well as in surrounding areas such as a hotel and the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police.
Haiti has been engulfed in a surge of unrest and gang violence in recent years. In Port-au-Prince, rival gangs hold sway over large swathes of the city, disrupting crucial supply routes to other parts of the country.
Additionally, gang members have instilled fear among urban residents, prompting more than 300,000 individuals to evacuate their residences due to relentless acts of violence, including indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, arson, and sexual assault. In January alone, approximately 1,100 individuals were either killed, injured, or abducted, marking it as the most violent month in two years, as declared by the United Nations.
Hajra Shannon
Author
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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